Liquid supply device and control method for liquid supply device

Abstract

Provided is a liquid supply device including: a plug having a plug side liquid channel; and a socket having a socket side liquid channel. The plug has a groove having a fixing groove, the socket has a body having the socket side liquid channel, a gripping unit gripped by a robot, and a sleeve member configured to adjust a position of the body relative to the gripping unit, the tip of the body runs annularly about the socket axis and has lock balls, and the sleeve member switches a state between a connected state where the lock balls are secured in the fixing groove and a released state where the lock balls are not secured in the fixing groove.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A liquid supply device comprising:
 a plug fixed to an opening provided to an upper surface of a liquid storage container and having a plug side liquid channel extending along a plug axis; and 
 a socket detachably attached to the plug and having a socket side liquid channel extending along a socket axis, 
 wherein the plug has a groove extending annularly about the plug axis and having a plug side fixing part, 
 wherein the socket has 
 a body formed cylindrically along the socket axis and having the socket side liquid channel, 
 a gripping unit formed cylindrically along the socket axis and gripped by a gripping mechanism configured to grip the socket, and 
 an adjustment unit configured to adjust a position on the socket axis of the body relative to the gripping unit, 
 wherein a tip of the body runs annularly about the socket axis and has a socket side fixing part, and 
 wherein the adjustment unit switches a state between a connected state where the socket side fixing part is fixed to the plug side fixing part and the socket side liquid channel is connected to the plug side liquid channel and a released state where the socket side fixing part is not fixed to the plug side fixing part. 
 
     
     
       2. The liquid supply device according to  claim 1  further comprising a pushing member configured to push the adjustment unit toward the tip of the body along the socket axis,
 wherein the adjustment unit is formed cylindrically along the socket axis and arranged movably with respect to the body along an outer circumferential surface of the body, fixes the socket side fixing part to the plug side fixing part by pushing force of the pushing member to establish the connected state, and moves in a direction opposite to the pushing force with respect to the body to switch the connected state into the released state. 
 
     
     
       3. The liquid supply device according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein a recess formed annularly about the socket axis is formed in an inner circumferential side of the gripping unit, 
 wherein the adjustment unit is arranged to close the recess and has a flange protruding in a radial direction orthogonal to the socket axis so that the flange is in contact with a bottom surface of the recess, 
 wherein a first space is formed on a base end side of the body with respect to the flange, and a second space is formed on the tip side of the body with respect to the flange, and 
 wherein the adjustment unit switches the released state into the connected state by using a pressure of a compressed gas supplied to the first space and switches the connected state into the released state by using a pressure of a compressed gas supplied to the second space. 
 
     
     
       4. The liquid supply device according to  claim 3 , wherein the gripping unit has
 a first cylindrical member made of metal forming the bottom surface of the recess, and 
 a second cylindrical member made of resin arranged so that the second cylindrical member is in contact with an outer circumferential surface of the first cylindrical member. 
 
     
     
       5. The liquid supply device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a detection unit configured to detect the connected state and the released state. 
     
     
       6. The liquid supply device according to  claim 5 , wherein the detection unit has a magnet attached to the body and a magnetic sensor whose position on the socket axis relative to the gripping unit is fixed and which is configured to output whether or not a state where the magnet is arranged at a position close to the magnetic sensor is established, and the detection unit detects the connected state and the released state in accordance with output from the magnetic sensor. 
     
     
       7. A control method of a liquid supply device comprising a plug, which is fixed to an opening provided to an upper surface of a liquid storage container and has a plug side liquid channel extending along a plug axis, and a socket having a socket side liquid channel extending along a socket axis,
 wherein the plug has a groove extending annularly about the plug axis and having a plug side fixing part, 
 wherein the socket has 
 a body formed cylindrically along the socket axis and having the socket side liquid channel, and 
 a gripping unit formed cylindrically along the socket axis and gripped by a gripping mechanism configured to grip the socket 
 wherein a tip of the body runs annularly about the socket axis and has a socket side fixing part, 
 the control method comprising: 
 a connecting step of controlling a position on the socket axis of the body relative to the gripping unit to switch a released state where the socket side fixing part is not fixed to the plug side fixing part into a connected state where the socket side fixing part is fixed to the plug side fixing part and the socket side liquid channel is connected to the plug side liquid channel; and 
 a releasing step of controlling a position on the socket axis of the body relative to the gripping unit to switch the connected state into the released state.